Finally I have found adapters that will let me charge my iPhone 3G (and the occasional 3GS that comes to visit) with my devices designed to work and charge earlier iPhone and iPods. I wrote a year and a half ago about the lack of adapters that would let me charge my iPhone 3G in players I had previously purchased. I was disappointed that the (rather significant) investment was all but worthless. Thanks to my brother, Chris (and @targuman on Twitter) my eyes have been opened to a product that promises to do just that–allow a pass through to charge with older devices. Actually there are two units that interest me.

The first is the Scosche PassPORT USB Home Charging Adapter . This device is for those players you have around the house where you would set your iPod or iPhone in and play your music while it charges. This adapter sits in the “well” where you would place your 1st Gen iPhone or iPod, and it essentially re-routes the power to the correct connectors, allowing a charge. A great idea, and it appears to only add a few centimeters of height. You can get this through Amazon for $25.47

The second device is the Scosche passPORT Charging Adapter for iPod touch 2G, 3G; iPod nano 4G; iPhone 3G . This answers the other challenging problem of having a car charger that will not charge the newer iPhones. This is a small (1 x 0.5 x 0.5 inches) device that plugs into your charger, extending it by 1/2″ but then plugs in to your iphone. Now you can charge your phone with older chargers. This device is only 9.99
from Amazon.

Luckily, I got my copy of GV Mobile before Apple banned it from the App Store. Their claim: GV Mobile duplicates existing phone functionality. Well, so does the Skype app. What's the real reason, Apple? This is lame.

Well, Skype for iPhone is here, at long last. This could be a big deal. For those who don't know, skype allows users to chat via voice or text (or video if using a computer and not an iPhone). The big development is that now iPhone users can connect to other iPhone users using Skype instead of normal mobile phone voice-to-voice connections. So, this means that as an iPhone user in the US I could talk to another iPhone user in the UK and not pay international mobile phone rates. Great!

Skype for iPhone is less of a big deal for domestic-to-domestic users in the US because AT&T already allows those calls to take place without depleting minutes (since all US iPhones are running on AT&T's network - unless you've been breaking the rules!).

I tried it out and was able to have an iPhone to PC conversation with a relative, no problem. The connection was clear and it sounded just as if I had made a phone call using the normal dialing method. So, there is some potential here. Try it out. It's free, after all.

Today, there is a lot of buzz around Apple's pending announcement of it's upcoming iPhone Version 3.0 software. Some of the rumored new features are long overdue - cut-and-paste for example. My 3-year-old Blackberry already has cut-and-paste, but only Apple could figure out a way to get positive buzz for finally adding a long overdue feature!

But, other rumors hint at other features that should further distance the iPhone from it's competition. For details, you can follow the live action on TUAW at 1PM EASTERN. Also, check back here post-announce for more on what's coming for the iPhone.

The Kindle 2 is here. And, now another great ingredient gets added to the Kindle recipe - Kindle for iPhone. If you already have Kindle and an iPhone, this free application is a must. If you have either a Kindle or an iPhone, but not both, you may want to now complete the pairing.

Kindle for iPhone allows you to buy readable content from the Amazon Kindle store right from your phone. If you have a Kindle, the app allows you to synch your content across both devices. Amazon calls it Whispersynch. And, even better, both devices keep track of pages you have read in your books. So, if you are standing in line somewhere and have a few minutes to get some reading done on your phone, the next time you fire up your Kindle, it will know what page you left off on. The reading experience spans both devices very well. I've actually tried it. It works!

Amazon made a great move allowing the Kindle experience to make it onto the iPhone. The Kindle is CLEARLY the better device for reading books. But, adding the iPhone capability to the pie will allow avid readers to enjoy their content even more. So, in the end, this should give the Kindle even more momentum. Reading is fundamental...again!

For fans of Leo Laporte's TWiT (This Week in Tech) network, the twit. am application is truly a lifesaver. It lets you listen to live TWiT audio almost anywhere. The application runs on the iPhone and iPod Touch, and it works over WiFi, 3G, or even EDGE networks. And, best of all, it's FREE and available via Apple's iTunes App Store.

As of this writing, the latest version of twit.am features an upgraded user interface (shown above). The application allows you to see the TWiT broadcast schedule, and it also integrates live IRC chat so that you can interact with show cast members as well as the large crowd of other listners gathered in the chat room. twit.am is a clear example of where new media is going.

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, twit.am is a must. Of course, you'll also find that the TWiT network itself is a must for all of you looking to stay up to speed on the latest in tech.

If you like twit.am, be sure to check into the IRC chat room and thank Houdini7. He is the very capable author of twit.am, and we thank him for his efforts.